The Antigone, a famous tragedy play created by Sophocles, is a captivating masterpiece that has many intriguing moments in it. Antigone, the protagonist in the entire play, is Oedipus’ sister and daughter because Oedipus married his biological mother. Oedipus dies, and resultantly Ismene and Antigone become the last breed of the extended Labdacus family. Antigone grew up with her sister in Creon’s house. The play is awe-inspiring with the rich tragedy and drama that it contains. However, among the major tragedies in the entire play is that of Creon and the famous Antigone. These two characters engage in a dire conflict occasioned by their obstinate nature that culminates in fatalities. The conflict emanates from a stance that is two-fold. First, Creon has an unshaken loyalty to his state whereas Antigone has an undying commitment to her family’s well-being, religion and ultimately her conscience. These characters are the origins of animated debates among the enthusiasts of the play on who should receive more sympathy than the other basing on the tragic experiences that they undergo in the entire story. For this reason, this paper provides a comprehensive discussion on my choice of the character that receives more of my sympathy than the other by critically analyzing and describing their character traits as based on the tragic storyline that the play has.
Discussion
The character traits exuded by Creon, in my opinion, are replete with glitches. Creon depicts a series of glitches through his personality coupled with huge pride that leads him to the numerous ordeals that he encountered. He makes irrational decisions without thinking prudently and in circumspection. He does not consult others to leverage their wise advice and instead makes his personal decisions that land him in different troubles. Creon shows his pride by being the king superior and also thumping himself as a superior being to the village ladies. For instance, Sophocles et. Al (18) provides the evidence that the condemnation of Antigone to die was blown out of proportion for the sole reason that Antigone was undermining a man rather than the actual reason that she disobeyed him. Similarly, Sophocles et. Al (20) validates the male superiority that Creon uses unfairly to mistreat women when he brands his son Haemon of being a “woman’s slave” just because Thebes’ people were sympathizing with Antigone for undergoing the numerous ordeals. However, the thing that makes me sympathize with him is the fact that he heeds advice from Chorus, which is evidently some precious information. He fears for his life because the Theban king could punish him, which shows that he swallowed his huge pride and listened to another person (Sophocles and Carson 8). However, the ultimate problem that subdues his pride is the demise of his son and dear wife, where his pride completely disappears. Johnson (25) indicates that eventually, he admits that he was wrong that he did not heed any person’s advice, which made him recur most of the grave mistakes that he did. These instances are clearly heart-melting, and they made me sympathize with him unlike at the beginning of the entire story when he was perpetrating various atrocities mercilessly.
Nonetheless, Creon’s final ordeal does not convince me to sympathize with him in the same way that I sympathize with Antigone. I sympathize with Antigone more than Creon because of her hurting ordeals and her character traits that depict him as virtually a perfect innocent lady undergoing experiences that are heart-wrenching. Antigone is a tough woman that exudes heroism who manages to subdue the forces of the dictatorial men like Creon, who mistreat women in the Theban society. The times that she lived in were unfavorable for women because men were tyrannical. She undergoes many ordeals since her brother perishes and she tries her best to provide a respectful burial to his brother, Polynieces. Amidst the rage from people such as Creon and other men, Antigone manages to manoeuvre and offers the decent burial to her dear brother. On the other hand, Antigone shows her courage when she dismisses her cowardly sister, Ismene, who pushes her to stop engaging in the incessant fights with men for her sole right as a woman. As Waller (9) indicates Ismene depicts her cowardice by believing that women are inherent followers of any man because nature dictates so, which is a belief that Antigone refuses to hold. I sympathize with her more because amidst the rage and evident rigidity that the men in her entire society depict, she manages to find strength to fight for the women’s welfare, which is an uphill task. She manages to withstand the intense pressure from the ruthless men and ensure that her family is not succumbing to the societal pressure that requires women to remain stupidly submissive to every arbitrary rule that the men bring. Her family dies and she sis subjected to extreme loneliness and a solitary life, but she manages to see a beautiful smile form the cloud of sadness that engulfs her life. Throughout her life until her saddening demise, Antigone remains a martyr who fought for what she believed was right and left a legacy. I think people should sympathize with her more than Creon because of her courageous cats that were based on rationality and truthfulness.